The Avene Retrinal 0.1 Intensive Cream was only the second product I've ever tried from this brand so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, especially since the only other product I'd tried was their Thermal Spring Water. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the Avene Retrinal, which is their retinol cream, that they have in two different strengths. This 0.1 is the stronger of the two; their other version is .05 Retrinal Intensive Cream. I loved the consistency of this in that it is a cream that is also hydrating and give skin some good antioxidants, vitamin e, and also a few peptides. I love that this is fragrance free (and also paraben free for those looking to avoid them). I would definitely purchase more from the brand. It is a little expensive but not outrageously so. My video review can be seen here:

I have been using RetrinAL 0.05 for almost 3 months now, and it is superb. The first retinol product I've ever tried. I'm 35, have dry, sensitive skin prone to rosacea and redness. A lot of things like harsh cleansers, SLS, and most acids give me instant rosacea outbreaks. But, since I had never tried retinol, I was curious to try it and settled on Avene because of good reviews and because my experience with the brand was pretty good. Their products seem well-designed for sensitive skins, even though they use a lot of petrochemicals. Almost everything I've tried, with only one exception, was well tolerated on my skin. So... the RetrinAL 0.05. I just use this on every 3rd night, to minimize any potential reaction. I've also read that you don't need to use retinol more than 3 times a week in your 30s. I had no weird peeling / redness reaction at all, although I think maybe after the first or second week, my skin felt slightly more sensitive than usual. That faded, and now I look forward to using this cream, because it means that I'll wake up with radiant skin. It shrinks pores, smooths the surface, and gives that glow that we all want. This is probably the best cream I've ever used, tbh, because it is quantifiably doing something. I love it and think it was worth the money. I use the matching eye cream too.

I've bought this several times. The nurse at the Med-Spa recommended it for my fair, oily, sensitive, acne-and-rosacea prone skin. (I wanted Retin-A, which was working miracles for my sister, and she said "Nope.") I used Retrinal for awhile in the spring and did appreciate the steady results. It has moisturizing properties, yet still seems to refine. But my skin regresses to total teen angst in the summer, so I switched to OTC Differin Gel, and that really helped with the breakouts. I haven't used Avene enough to be as ecstatic about the results as some are, but I am reaching for it again now that cooler weather is here and Differin Gel leaves me with dry patches. It seems much more beneficial to me in cold weather.

I was running out of my last tube of non-USA purchased retin-a and I was researching on what to do next as I just did not want to pay USA prescription prices for retin-a. With help from the skin board (thank you) I decided to try this. I was kind of hoping it would not work as it is not cheap but I have to say I will be buying it again. My skin is looking clearer (sun spots mainly) and I really think this is doing a great job with my fine lines. I have tried over the years to use the highest non-prescription retin-a like products (ROC, Neutrogena) but this ones blows them away. It is not very moisturizing so I use it about 4 time a week with a couple nights off. I am not fond of the consistency - it comes out in a skinny thread of product from the bottle and is not super easy to blend in my skin (much like my retin-a) but it has been one of the most effective, over-the-counter treatments for my signs of again I have eve tried.

I purchased Avene+ 0.1% retrinal with vitamin E. It is their newest formulation. The vitamin E helps prevent irritation and is an powerful antioxidant. It goes on much easier than the usual Rx strength or high strength OTC retinol creams. It does a good job of firming skin, reducing wrinkles, and helping to exfoliate. My skin also looks brighter with continued use of Avene+. The packaging is excellent for this type of product, and the price is reasonable in that it should last you about 3 months, more if you use it for spot treatments only. The reason that I would not purchase it again is that it contains parabens, PEGs, and mineral oil to name a few of the less than desirable ingredients. I believe I can find something that works comparably without the nasty ingredients. If you don't mind those ingredients, then it really is a good product. I am more into organic or at least all-natural products. I will probably purchase a tretinoin product in gel form next time.

I started using this when I got a free sample, Avene is my favorite for skin care. I've used a lot of different products for aging & hands down this has worked the best. down side is the cost, but I've found great deals on eBay & Amazon. Also I find a little goes a long way. I've used several Avene products for wrinkles & fine lines for about a month a see a nice difference! I've read people say give it a couple months to get best results & that's what I'm doing. I'm 41 and realize I'll never look 20 again but to improve my skin appearance is worth the money.

I am giving this product a review of one lippie because for me, it was a total bust. MINERAL OIL...if you are acne prone do NOT use this product...use the Triacneal instead. My face reacted to this product within days and this is not purging...this is full on acne breakouts. I tried the.1 but the .05 also contains mineral oil.

I ordered from Dermstore who is taking back the product for store credit so I'm happy about that.

RESEARCH:I've been researching retinoid-based creams for months now. I chose this one because it seems to be the highest effective functionalization (aldehyde) before you go to prescription-strength (acids). FYI, the retinol in CVS products like ROC is an alcohol. For a comprehensive list, check here:http://www.skinacea.com/retinoids/types-of-retinoids.html#.UX5-ErXQc-Y

SKIN:I have fair skin which tends to be sensitive, dry and prone to hormonal acne, large pores, white heads with a dash of KP around the cheeks. It is virtually impossible for me to find a product that will not aggravate anything and I find that my skin behaves better if I just cleanse it with warm water and nothing else! Retinoid is something I haven't tried yet so I felt hopeful - since there are very few main chemicals that I haven't tried yet - only thing that my face and body can deal with was benzyl peroxide (4%) once a month, everything else either doesn't help or makes things worse.

PURCHASE:Avene was a little was a little difficult to find since it is one of those "available through spas" products. After a bit of search, I settled on getting it from http://www.dermstore.com/ which shipped it promptly with a couple of freebies thrown in. I bought the 0.05%.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:A week before my Avene arrived, I received a free sample from Sephora of a DERMAdoctor Physical Therapy exfoliator (still in search for something other that water to clean my face with). http://www.dermadoctor.com/best-sellers/physical-chemistry-facial-microdermabrasion-multiacid-chemical-peel.html Miraculously, it did not irritate my skin (I've tried other high-end scrubs and my face turns red) and I was pleased with the results.

I used the scrub before my first application of Avene. To apply use a pea amount and dab around the face. Then work it in. About 4 days later, I repeated the scrub and Avene. I did this at night. The cream absorbs immediately, leaving skin soft.

RESULTS WEEK 1:No unusual breaking out. My cheeks which were bumpy are incredibly soft, I can't stop touching them! The pores around the nose look less dark but the whiteheads are still there. Flakiness around week-old zit scars is gone too.

RESULTS WEEK 3:I continue to use this every 3 days and it seems to be clearing out the pores nicely. A little push with a nail and most of the clogs slide right out. I had a break out on the chin but it lasted only about half the time it usually lasts. The Kp-like bumps around the cheeks seem to be gone for good now. Time to start using this every other day and look into getting a good night cream.

RESULTS WEEK 5:So the much anticipated "retinoid purge" has arrived. This is a mixed blessing. On one hand pores that were so deeply clogged and closed that it's become a permanent feature on the face all of a sudden opened up. Again, I had to use mechanical means but the sebum was very hard and slipped right out (sorry, being a bit graphic here). On the other hand, it feels like there is gunk perpetually oozing out of my skin and it's making the foundation look strange and flaky. I stopped using foundation for a while and switched to Juice Beauty CC Cream. The scrub definitely helps here. Find something gentle enough that you can use every day. Any agitated pores heal within a day so despite the retinoid reaction, it still seems like the skin is better now than it was before.

I bought this cream in the 0.1% strength. I am pushing 30 and I've started to notice slightly disturbing changes in my skin since my teens: larger pores on my cheeks (particularly the area closer to my nose) and worsening of genetic hyper pigmentation (think Lucy Liu freckles, except much lighter and just on the tops of my cheeks), some fine lines starting to develop but not much wrinkling. General coarsening of my skin: this I wanted to improve.

This cream has been delivering in all of the ways I had hoped for. My skin tolerates the concentration of retrinal and the formulation does not break me out. It is helping fade the horrendous breakout I developed when I tried Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair: for some reason, the two times I've tried any of Neutrogena's products with the "Accelerated Retinol SA" I've ended up with the worst skin of my life, with NONE of the benefits Retrinal gives me.

I'd like to sum up by saying that if you want a cream in the $20 range, I recommend Neutrogena's Healthy Skin night cream with retinol. It's been around forever, and it is actually the reason I wanted to try a stronger vit A derivative: it gives me the benefits of Retrinal, albeit to a lesser degree.

To me, it's worth the $40-$60 for Retrinal. My skin has really improved quite a bit in the past month. I also experienced some purging for the first time in my life: I used to think cosmetic and cystic acne such as that which I got with Accelerated Retinol SA was "purging": it is not. It's not inflammatory pimples that are caused by purging: comedones start surfacing because the retrinal is working its' magic. When the comedones do happen to get infected, they create a minor surface pimple usually with the comedone visible at the surface of the skin.

Since Retin A micro (the only prescription retinoid I've tried) was much too irritating for me as a 22 year old, I'm not willing to risk the side effects again. For me, Retinal 0.1% is my new secret weapon (not a weak toy!), and I'm really excited about the upcoming months! One caveat to the whole Retrinal thing: I am experiencing mild irritation on my nose (esp from exposure to wind) and dryer skin. However, Cerave PM has solved that issue satisfactorily.

Love love this stuff in spite of the price. Per the skb, this is the strongest OTC retrinol product on the market. I had previously used Eluage and w/ my advancing years (ok, mid 40s), I wanted to bump things up and this is the strongest version Avene makes. (PS - there is a wonderful article comparing the different retrinol versions/products if anyone is interested = PM me. I am not affiliated, I just found it informative!

I can use this stuff nightly, but I alternate w/ other items to save on $$. I have had no skin irritation, redness (in spite of the fact I have mild rosacea) or breakouts. It definitely helps my skin's appearance - I do have folks tell me I do not look my age and whilest I know a lot of that has to do w/ other factors (genes, environmental, other tx I use), I myself notice a difference when I stop using for a while = this is and will continue to be one of my main weapons in my anti-aging arsenal.